Related: Ohio may require injured workers to declare citizenship to get workers comp benefits
Police and firefighters argue that they are exposed to trauma on the job but there is no help for them to cope with the mental toll that takes. Ohio has more than 30,000 police officers and firefighters.
Legislative leaders pledged to address the PTSD issue for first responders in a stand alone bill later this year.
The BWC is a state-run insurance system for employees in the public and private sector that was created more than 100 years ago. It collects premiums from employers and then pays medical expenses and lost wages for workers injured on the job.
In 2018, there were 85,000 injury claims filed with BWC. The agency insures roughly 242,000 public and private employers. In 2018, BWC earned $1.3 billion on its $26.9 billion invested assets portfolio.
Related: Ohio employers to get $1.5B rebate from workers’ comp system
The House voted 71-13 and the Senate voted 21-9 in favor of the legislation, clearing the way for Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature. The governor has line-item veto authority on the bill.
The NFIB Ohio praised the pared down bill.
“NFIB supported removing the major policy proposals and passing a clean funding bill for the BWC operating budget. Small business owners rely on the BWC’s ability to help injured workers receive timely care while considering the costs for Ohio employers,” said NFIB Ohio Director Roger Geiger in a written statement.
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